Pennsylvania AFL-CIO Condemns "Paycheck Deception" Bill Approved by State House Government Committee Today

HARRISBURG, Pa., June 23, 2014 /PRNewswire-USNewswire/ -- Pennsylvania AFL-CIO President Rick Bloomingdale and Secretary-Treasurer Frank Snyder issued the following statement in response to the ongoing attack against working families by the State House Government Committee, chaired by State Representative Daryl Metcalfe.

President Bloomingdale stated, "This extreme legislation – House Bill 1507 – silences the voices of working families and their ability to advocate for safe jobs, improvements in services, public safety and policies that expand our middle class. It tilts the balance against workers in favor of corporations, allowing them to continue using payroll deductions to fund the political and legislative campaigns that they choose. This bill singles workers while allowing corporations off Scot-free, ignoring corporate payroll-deducted contributions, such as those for insurance companies, who use the money for their own lobbying." President Bloomingdale urged state lawmakers to reject 1507, "As, it reeks of discrimination, and it interferes with the collective bargaining process agreed to by both the employer, and employee".

"Voters and taxpayers would be appalled if they knew the wasted time and money that was being exerted on another one of Corbett or Metcalfe's twisted, ideological schemes. This witch hunt, has nothing to do with passing a fiscally responsible budget," Secretary-Treasurer Snyder added. "This is not about protecting taxpayer's money, it is about union busting – plain and simple. Let's address the issues that matter to Pennsylvanians. This is not one of them."